This invention relates to an apparatus for spreading chaff discharged from a combine harvesting apparatus or similar grain threshing machine. Many combines include a cleaning shoe at which chaff is discharged at a position spaced from the discharge of straw. Many different types of apparatus have been proposed for use at the straw discharge of such a combine for chopping the straw and spreading it relative to the rear of the combine. One class of such straw spreaders includes rotating blades which act to chop the straw and at the time discharge it radially.
However, these apparatus are unsuitable for use in spreading chaff discharged from the cleaning shoe and have never been used in the area of the chaff discharge. Generally, chaff has been allowed to discharge directly behind the combine and attention has only been applied to the straw discharge with devices available to chop and spread the straw or to swath the straw for later collection.